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Sport Neuropsychology and Cerebral Concussion

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Behavioral Sport Psychology

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Abstract

Sport neuropsychology defines a discipline of recent origin that combines the two stand-alone disciplines of sport psychology and neuropsychology. Sport psychology can be defined as “the scientific study of people and their behaviors in sport and exercise activities and the practical application of that knowledge” (Weinberg & Gould, 2007, p. 4). Neuropsychology studies the relationship between the functioning brain and behavior, with behavior often broken down into intellectual, emotional, and control components (Lezak, 1983). Both parent fields exhibit several similarities, and each has its scientific and applied sides. Experimental neuropsychology uses methods from experimental psychology to uncover the relationship between the nervous system and behavior, where behavior includes overt as well as within-brain cognitions. Both human and animal experimentation are common in experimental neuropsychology for the same methodological and ethical reasons that both exist in more standard behavior analytic approaches. Clinical neuropsychology applies neuropsychological knowledge to the assessment, management, and rehabilitation of people with neurobehavioral problems due to illness or brain injury. It brings a psychological viewpoint to treatment, to understand how such illness and injury may affect, and be affected by, psychological factors.

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  1. Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, USA

    Frank M. Webbe

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  1. Frank M. Webbe
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Correspondence to Frank M. Webbe .

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  1. May Institute, Pacella Park Drive 41, Randolph, 02368, Massachusetts, USA

    James K. Luiselli

  2. , Dept. Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Sunnyside Avenue 1000, Lawrence, 66045, Kansas, USA

    Derek D. Reed

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Webbe, F.M. (2011). Sport Neuropsychology and Cerebral Concussion. In: Luiselli, J., Reed, D. (eds) Behavioral Sport Psychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0070-7_11

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